Generally speaking, high-quality audio applications require high linearity and low in-band noise levels. Thus, in order to avoid overloading speakers, out-of-band noise needs to be reduced to a minimum.
However, it is very difficult to achieve a high signal-to-noise and distortion ratio in audio digital-to-analog converters (DACs) due to different sources of non-linearity and noise. Sources of non-linearity include operational amplifier slew rate limitations, non-linear switch-on resistances, glitches, and others. For audio applications, output stage amplifiers have to consume a large amount of power in order to suppress non-linearity. Two-level and three-level DACs are inherently linear, while multi-bit DACs require dynamic element matching in order to correct non-linearity introduced by component mismatch.